Last night on Twitter, somebody asked a seemingly simple question: "Why aren't there more lady game creators?" It's a really good question, and one I wish wasn't a problem. However, sexism is a huge problem in the gaming industry, and in response to one person's curiosity, many women in the industry have been speaking up.
#1ReasonWhy is the hashtag that popped up in response to the question, and soon many women game designers, animators, journalists, and other professionals told their stories about the challenges they have faced concerning sexism in their careers. Some of the experiences are heartbreaking, some are sickening, and some are inspiring. I've loved reading through the twitter feed about these women.
I wish that there were more females in the professional video games industry. I've seen too many examples of games where women are portrayed in oversexualized ways in order to "appeal to teenage boys" who are supposedly the richest market for games. Perhaps surprisingly, there are more adult females playing video games than teenage males! Even worse is the treatment of female professionals in the gaming industry. Having more female game creators would help to broaden the industry, but there needs to be an increased awareness that women are not only interested, but also good at making games!
We shouldn't have to specify that we are "girl gamers." We don't call anybody a "boy gamer." We should be seen and treated as equals in both playing games and creating them.
Girls, what are some of your favorite games? Would you ever consider creating your own game? If you could make your own game, what would it be like?
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